Club Zero
by magneticdice
Summary: Ian & Mickey got back together after Ian was dishonorably discharged. Svetlana hasn't been in the picture since Terry went back to prison (and she had never been pregnant in the first place). Ian was fined & sentenced to community service. He's been living w/ the Milkoviches since getting back. Ian convinces Mickey to go to a trendy nightclub downtown, but things go terribly wrong.
1. Chapter 1

Gallavich Week Part 4

**Club Zero**

Summary: Ian and Mickey got back together after Ian was dishonorably discharged from the army. Svetlana hasn't been in the picture since Terry went back to prison (and she had never been pregnant in the first place). Ian was fined and sentenced to community service. He's been living with the Milkoviches since getting back to Chicago. Ian convinces Mickey to go to a trendy nightclub downtown, but things go terribly wrong...

Part 4 of my Gallavich Week series, for the "different worlds" theme. It's a crossover with the Dresden Files (which is also set in Chicago). It's okay if you don't know anything about the books/show—I will try to explain things and characters to the best of my ability! If you want a little bit of background info, however, wikipedia is a great place to start: wiki/The_Dresden_Files Enjoy...!

**Ch. 1**

It was Friday evening and Ian had just gotten back to the Milkovich house after working eight hours of community service under the boiling August sun. This month, they had him assigned to pick up garbage from the side of the highway. It was miserable work, especially when coupled with the fact that he wasn't getting paid a cent for it.

Ian had debated stopping by his house to see his younger siblings and to possibly help Debbie clean up after the day care had finished, but he had a feeling Fiona would have been home by then, and he wasn't up for another fight. His big sister had been furious with him ever since his return to Chicago. She said it was about the principle of the whole thing and the fact that Ian had effectively ruined Lip's chances of going to MIT, but Ian suspected the real reason had been the lawyer's fees and the fine she'd been forced to pay on his behalf. She had taken a personal loan from her boss/boyfriend Mike. Despite the fact that Ian promised her that he'd pay her back as soon as he could, Fiona had been treating him like crap, constantly reminding him of what a dickhead he'd been. It had gotten to the point where Ian couldn't take any more of her criticism and guilt-tripping, and had just moved in with Mandy.

It didn't take much for Mickey to forgive him for leaving. Ian had kept in touch with Mandy the whole time he'd been gone, so he knew that Mickey had been wrecked by his departure. They picked up their relationship right where they'd left off before that horrible morning when Terry had caught them. As soon as Svetlana had left, Mickey had put his furniture back to its old layout and all the old posters were back on the walls. He'd even burnt Svetlana's frilly comforter in the backyard with Mandy. They didn't talked about Svetlana or any of the events related to her ever again.

Ian hadn't talked to Mickey about moving in—he'd fully intended on sleeping on the couch—but to his surprise, when he'd shown up at the Milkovich house with his duffel bag in tow, Mickey had led him straight into his bedroom. Half of the drawers had been emptied and ready for Ian's clothes. They didn't need to have a conversation about it—just the gesture was enough. This was something Ian had started to learn about Mickey: the cliché that actions spoke louder than words. Sometimes he wished he hadn't been such an idiot and had learned it earlier. It would have saved everyone a lot of time, money and heartache.

Ian had been back in Chicago since February, and had been living in the Milkovich house for five months. He had gone back to high school to finish out his senior year, but the few months he'd missed meant he would have to repeat most of his classes in the fall. He had been working at the Kash and Grab on the weekends in order to contribute some money for food. He was thankful to both Mickey and his sister for their understanding: he worked so many hours doing community service that he couldn't get any sort of real job yet.

Ian had stopped asking Mickey what he did for a living now that Terry was gone; the older boy's reluctance to answer Ian the first twenty times he'd asked was an obvious admission that it wasn't a legal job, and Ian was okay with that. He was a Gallagher, after all. They did what needed to be done to survive.

Mickey got back from work only an hour or so after Ian, giving the redhead time to shower and change into clothes that weren't drenched in sweat. Ian had made some pasta and garlic bread for dinner. He would have made a lot less if he'd known that Mandy wouldn't be joining them, but he hadn't gotten her text message until after the noodles had boiled.

"How was your day?" he asked Mickey.

Mickey shoved a slice of garlic bread into his mouth, moaned in appreciation, and Ian couldn't help but smile at him.

"Same shit, different day. You?"

Ian shrugged his shoulders. "It was over ninety degrees out today. It sucked," he answered.

That was the only conversation they had during dinner. When they finished eating, Ian put the leftovers away while Mickey put the dishes into the sink. They'd become so domestic that even Ian was getting a little sick of it. Each night was the same routine: dinner, movie/TV, beer/joints, sex. It wasn't a bad routine, per say, but Ian wanted to do something _different._ It was Friday night! They should be going out and having fun!

"Hey Mick," Ian said, stopping the older boy before he could sit on the couch and started their cycle over again. "Let's go out tonight."

"Out where?" Mickey asked apprehensively. Ian knew that although Mickey was comfortable being with him and admitting his feelings for Ian, he still was not okay with being "open" about their relationship to other people. Mandy and Lip were still the only people who knew about them. As far as everyone else was concerned, they were just friends who used to work together.

A few weeks earlier, Ian had convinced Mickey to go to the gay bar his mom had taken him to. Some old guy had bought Ian a drink and things had not ended well when Mickey had punched him out. They'd both been thrown out of the bar. Ian never told Mickey how good it felt whenever he got jealous—he didn't want to encourage his violent reactions—but he had definitely been grinning for the whole night afterwards.

Ian smiled at the memory, but quickly remembered what he had been planning on asking Mickey all day. "I heard about this nightclub called Zero from one of the other guys I do community service with." When Mickey didn't immediately object, Ian continued. "Well, he's from the North Side. He said it's a really exclusive club downtown that caters to the rich snobs from his neighborhood that want to indulge themselves. It moves around the city, so you can only go if someone tells you exactly where it is. He said he'd put our names on the list for tonight... So, what do you say?"

Mickey shrugged his shoulders and gave a noncommittal grunt, which told Ian that he was considering it. "Please?" Ian begged, "I really want to go out... We never _go_ anywhere... and I promise I'll make it worth your while when we get home!" Ian added, giving Mickey a lascivious grin.

"Okay, okay... fine. Stop begging; you sound like a little bitch," Mickey said. Ian almost squealed with excitement but held it in because of Mickey's comment. He turned and went into their bedroom, bringing out a pair of Mickey's jeans and a black button-down shirt that he'd already picked out for Mickey in case he had agreed. Mickey raised his eyebrows at Ian. "And if I'd said no?" he asked.

Ian smiled at him again instead of answering.


	2. Chapter 2

**Ch. 2**

It didn't take them long to find the place. The bouncer let them in with a special key once he saw that they were in fact on the list. Mickey wasn't sure what to expect...

There was a bar and dance floor in the center with cages containing an exotically dressed men and women. There were stairs and catwalks heading up to platforms thrusting from the walls having fancy yet comfy looking furnishings. The lights flashed in time to the heavy-base music. People were all over the place and were dressed in a wide array of sexy clothing doing erotic things.

Mickey assessed that the club was called Zero for zero limits, zero inhibitions and zero restraint. There was focused abandon and indulgence. It was a place full of needs, never sated, always _hungry_. Zero fulfillment. He got a chill as he looked around at what was going on, but instantly felt calmed when Ian's arm brushed against his for just a moment longer than necessary. Gallagher was obviously trying to ease his nerves, and it worked.

"I'm gonna get some drinks," Mickey said into Ian's ear.

Ian nodded and made his way onto the dance floor.

Mickey ordered two jack and cokes from the bar and turned around to lean his back against it as he waited for the bartender to return. He saw Ian already dancing happily in the middle of the floor, but noticed a woman making her way towards him through the crowd. She walked with a predator's prowl and grace, the epitome of a cougar, except she was _hot._

Mickey wasn't worried. Girls hit on Gallagher all the time. In fact, Mickey was almost relieved that at least Ian would have someone else to dance with, and therefore wouldn't force Mickey to do it. He paid for the drinks and walked over to a cocktail table to wait for Ian to get back. After about 20 minutes of waiting, Mickey was starting to get a little fed up. He left the drinks on the table and walked onto the dance floor to look for Ian.

He was shocked to find Gallagher grinding against the woman he'd seen earlier. She was six feet tall, had pale skin, dark hair and shiny highlights. She had a beautiful face despite the obvious arrogance in her expression. They weren't just dancing... it was almost dirty to watch. Mickey grabbed Ian by his arm and pulled him away from the woman, turning the redhead to face him in the same motion.

"What the fuck are you doing, Firecrotch?"

Ian's eyes were still locked on the woman, despite his body facing away from her. It was like he didn't want to lose contact with her for even a second.

"Ian!" Mickey shouted, grabbing his head with his other hand and turning it to look at him. "What the hell is going on?"

Ian seemed to come out of his daze for a second, but then his expression contorted to one of anger. "Get the fuck off me," was all he said to Mickey. He took a step back, freeing himself easily from Mickey's grip, and turned back to the woman. They resumed their "dancing".

Mickey was stunned.

"Ian! I'm done with this shit. Let's go," he said, reaching for Gallagher's arm again.

The redhead reeled his arm back and punched Mickey with all of his strength. Everything went black.


	3. Chapter 3

**Ch. 3**

When Mickey woke up, he was sitting in a wet alleyway with his back against the stone wall behind him. He had no idea where he was—this definitely was not the same alley that the club had been in. He rubbed his jaw, which was stiff from Ian's assault. What the hell had happened?

He slowly got up and tried to figure out where he was. He walked around the nearby streets, trying to find Zero again, but he knew he was just wasting his time. He hadn't been paying any attention to where they'd walked after getting off the L. He tried calling Ian but it went straight to voicemail. _Great._

Mickey gave up and decided to head back home. Gallagher would turn up eventually.

Except he didn't.

Mickey was pissed. He had a feeling Gallagher just went back to his own house. It wasn't until two whole days of unreturned called and texts had passed that Mickey started feeling worried. He stopped by the Kash and Grab but Linda said Ian missed work both Saturday and Sunday.

He didn't know what he had done wrong... Gallagher wouldn't leave him again, would he? Mickey thought things were okay between them now...

He saw Mandy at home that Sunday night. She was dressed as skanky as usual, but Mickey had given up commenting on her choice of attire (or lack thereof) years ago.

"Hey, have you seen Ian this weekend?"

"No, why?" Mandy was only half paying attention, still adding some final touches to her makeup in the mirror.

"Is he staying at the Gallagher's?" Mickey pressed, not answering her question.

"How the fuck would I know? Lip and I haven't talked since before Christmas." She kicked the bathroom door closed with her foot, effectively ending the conversation.

Mickey was even more annoyed now. Not only would he have to go to the Gallagher's house to talk to Ian, but he'd also have to face Fiona. Ian's sister had had a serious stick up her ass ever since the redhead had come back. Of course it had worked to Mickey's benefit, what with Gallagher moving in, but he knew Ian missed his siblings all the time.

He was anxious during the entire walk over to the Gallaghers'. As he approached the house, he debated whether he should go to the front or back door. It was around dinner time, so he opted for the back, hoping that Fiona would be less bitchy with the younger kids around her.

He knocked on the door and was met by a short ginger-haired girl who must have been Debbie. "Is Ian here?" he asked.

She opened the door wider and looked back at Fiona. "It's Mickey Milkovich," she explained before taking her seat at the dinner table. Nobody got up or made any effort to answer him, so he decided to step into the house. They all sat around the table, eating lasagna. All except Ian. Where the fuck was the kid?

"Is Ian here?" Mickey repeated, but louder this time, addressing the whole family.

Fiona scowled at him, but it was Lip that answered. "He hasn't stopped by in weeks, man."

Mickey's shoulders fell. He didn't want to deal with any questions or small talk with Ian's family, so without another word, he pulled the door shut behind him and walked back home. He waited anxiously until the next day, and when Gallagher still hadn't shown up, Mickey decided to go the police.

It was ironic—a Milkovich actually stepping into a police station willingly—but Mickey felt like he had no other choice. Mickey went to a precinct downtown, not wanting his reputation in the South Side to have any effect on whether or not they would help him.

He waited for two hours until an officer was free to take his statement. He explained to the cop that he and Ian had gone to a club and that Ian had been dry humping some cougar, had punched him when Mickey tried to interrupt, and that he'd woken up in an alley and couldn't find the club again. He told the cop it had been over two days since he'd last seen or heard from Gallagher.

The officer got up and went to get some coffee. Mickey tried not to lose his tempter at the guy's lack of concern. When he came back, Mickey asked to file a missing person's report and the office laughed at him.

"So you're telling me that your friend got lucky and hooked up with some hot woman at a sex club, and you want to file a missing person's report?" The guy laughed some more. "I checked the computer for this secret 'Club Zero' you mentioned and it doesn't exist. I checked the city's records for liquor licenses and any businesses registered under the name Zero, and nothing came up."

Mickey was fucking furious. He stood up, knocking his chair back in the process, and slapped the coffee out of the smug cop's hand. The mug shattered on the floor and the whole precinct instantly fell into silence.

"I don't give a shit if you can't find Zero in your system. _My friend is fucking missing._ He was at the club, and then he disappeared. He's been gone for two days, and _you're_ gonna help find him!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Ch. 4**

"Did you say the name of the club was Zero?"

Mickey whirled around to see a short, stocky blonde standing behind him with a handful of files and a mug of coffee. She was dressed in civilian clothes but had a badge on a chain hanging around her neck.

"Yeah, it was called Club Zero."

"Follow me," she said before she walked away.

Mickey didn't move. He watched her back for a minute before making up his mind. He didn't know if this chick would take him seriously, but he wasn't going to just give up. He followed her.

She walked into an office that had the name "Lt. Karrin Murphy, Special Investigations" on a sign taped to the door. This tiny blonde was a lieutenant? She motioned to the seat across from her desk and Mickey sat down, watching her intently.

She dropped the stack of files onto her desk and sat in her own chair, taking a sip of the coffee. "From what I've heard, Club Zero moves around often—too often for us to find it. And, you have to be told where it is. But I haven't heard any complaints about people going missing before. What makes you think your friend isn't just off on some weekend-long hookup?"

Mickey winced at the thought, then cleared his throat. "Gallagher's gay. Like, _completely _gay," he explained.

Murphy's bright blue eyes widened at that. "Oh," was all she had to say.

"He's been gone since Friday night," Mickey started. "I swear, it was like he was hypnotized by this woman. Something's off about the whole thing..." He looked at the lieutenant hopefully. "Will you help?"

"If you help me find this club, then I'll help you find your boyfriend."

Mickey wanted to correct her at the use of the term "boyfriend" but decided it wasn't worth it. If she was willing to help, he'd let it slide. "Deal," Mickey said.

"So, let's start from the top. How did you hear about the place?" She had a notepad in her hand and jotted down things here and there while Mickey recounted the night's events. "Hmm... looks to me like the best place to start would be to find..." she glanced down at her notes, "_Gallagher's_ friend from community service."

They got in her car and drove to the main office, where the director told them which part of the I-90 the kids would be working on cleaning that day. Murphy told Mickey to wait in the car. He sat in the passenger's seat, watching her. After speaking with the on-site supervisor, Murphy learned that Ian had been paired with a boy named Timothy. The supervisor pointed him out, and after just a few minutes of questioning, Murphy was done. She had an address for the club.

The sun was already setting. "The kid, Timothy, said the club doesn't typically open until 10pm. I'll drop you off at home so you can get changed and eat something. Think you can meet me at the station later tonight?"

Mickey nodded. They didn't talk much during the drive. "What's 'Special Investigations'?" Mickey asked, finally breaking the silence.

Murphy grinned and shook a blonde curl away from her face. "It's my unit. We deal with all the cases the other departments don't want to deal with... the shit nobody can explain."

When Mickey got home, Mandy was in her room with the music turned up to an obnoxious level, probably to mask the noises of whatever she and her latest fling were up to. He took a shower and shaved, both things he hadn't done since after work on Friday. He remembered that he'd been the same when Ian had run off to enlist: not eating, not showering, not shaving, not sleeping... just drinking and smoking until he was numb to the world around him. He didn't want that to happen again. He was going to find Gallagher.

Mickey heated up a Hot Pocket in the microwave and sat in the living room, killing time. He took the train to the station and waited for Murphy outside. The address Timothy had given them was walking distance from the precinct, so they made the short trek together in about 10 minutes. The bouncer was a different guy, much to Mickey's relief. They weren't on the list, but Murphy's badge was all they really needed.

When they were inside, Mickey noticed that, although the building was different, the layout of the interior, as well as all the furnishings, was exactly the same. _How creepy... _he thought.

Murphy told him to keep an eye out for the woman he'd seen with Ian. They walked around the dance floor a few times, then made their way up the stairs. The crowd was, once again, dressed in skimpy outfits of all sorts, with the prominent fabrics being leather and lace. Mickey was following closely behind Murphy when she suddenly stopped and he bumped into her. He hadn't noticed how muscular she was until just then. The short blonde hadn't even lost her balance for a moment.

"_Thomas?!_" she asked, with surprise evident in her tone.


	5. Chapter 5

**Ch. 5**

Thomas Raith sat on a plush, blood-red sofa, wearing black leather pants and a tight black muscle tee that accentuated his physique. He had black, shoulder-length hair that hung around his pale face. His gray eyes settled on Murphy and a smile played on his lips.

"Lieutenant Murphy," he said, showing his very white teeth. "To what do I owe this visit?"

Murphy recovered quickly. "Thomas—is this your club?"

The man nodded, then tilted his head to the side. "Well, it's part of the family's holdings," he clarified. Mickey couldn't stop openly staring at the guy. He was _hot_. Absolutely fucking gorgeous. He looked like someone's painting of the forgotten Greek god of body cologne. He made all the Spartans in that movie look like slackers, and he didn't even use an airbrush. Seriously, it should have been illegal to look so good.

Murphy spoke then, bringing him back to reality. "A kid was in here a few nights ago and has been missing since. I'm trying to locate him. His boyfriend says he was dancing with some woman and then disappeared." Mickey winced from the use of the term boyfriend yet again. She continued to describe the woman, based on the notes she'd made from her earlier discussion with Mickey.

Thomas turned to look at a girl sitting on the couch opposite him. She was slim and beautiful. She had white, long hair that fell to her waist, and was dressed in a white, plastic cat suit that even covered her hands. "What do you think, Justine?" he asked her.

"Sounds like your cousin Madeline to me," Justine answered. "Your sister is getting quite tired of cleaning up after her..."

"Yes, she is, indeed. I wonder if Lara knows that Madeline's been enthralling patrons of Zero on her watch..."

"Enthralling?" Murphy asked.

"Enthrallment is the term for magically dominating another through binding their will to one's own. Hasn't Harry taught you anything?" he teased. Mickey looked back and forth between the two of them, utterly confused. _Magic? What are these people on? _"If the boy is gay, you can be certain that there was some sort of mental manipulation in play. I'm surprised, though. Madeline doesn't usually put so much effort in finding her play-things..."

Murphy sighed. "Do you know where this cousin of yours is?"

Thomas shook his head. "She isn't welcome at the Raith house at the moment. Maybe Harry can help locate the boy?" Thomas suggested.

They left the club, and although Mickey had a shit ton of questions to ask, he kept them to himself. He didn't want to upset the lieutenant by calling her and her friends crazy, since she clearly _was_ helping him look for Ian. She drove them to the heart of Chi-town, and parked in front of a big century-old wooden boardinghouse, which had been divided into several apartments. It was made almost entirely of wood and it had clearly managed to survive all of Chicago's fires. It creaked and groaned with the wind, but the neighborhood itself was rather quiet.

Murphy knocked hard on the metal door, waiting for someone to open it. "Hold on, hold on..." he heard in a man's deep voice, coming from the other side of the door.

A tall, lanky man opened the door a crack, and visibly relaxed when he saw Murphy. He had a candle in one hand and a staff in the other. He opened the door enough to allow them in and then closed it behind them.

The apartment was only lit by a few candles, camping lamps and the glow from the fireplace. Mickey wondered why anyone would be using a fireplace at the height of summer. Why didn't the guy just turn the lights on? They were in a large living room which had a small kitchenette. There was only one other door, through which Mickey could see the bedroom.

"Harry, I need your help finding someone." Murphy walked over to the sofa and sat, motioning for Mickey to do the same. He guessed that they must have known each other pretty well since the cop was making herself comfortable in the guy's house. Mickey sat.

Harry, this here is Mickey. Mickey, this is Harry Dresden. He's a private investigator and a consultant my department uses quite often. Tell him what happened, kid," she instructed Mickey, so he proceeded to retell what had gone down on Friday night. When he reached the end of the story, Murphy took over. "We found out where the club was located and went back tonight. Thomas was there, with Justine. Apparently it's one of his sister Lara's businesses, and based on the kid's description, he thinks his cousin Madeline must have enthralled the boy. So? Think you can help locate him?"

"Did Thomas have any idea why Madeline would have taken the boy? I was under the impression that Lara had ordered all of the White Court to be a little more discreet."

Murphy shook her head. "He did mention that Lara was getting tired of cleaning up after Madeline lately, but didn't elaborate. He didn't know where she is, either."

"What's the White Court?" Mickey asked. He was starting to get annoyed with the fact that everyone was so accepting of all this "magic" crap, as if it was totally normal.

"That's none of your-" Dresden started, but was cut off by Murphy.

"It's one of the three vampire courts. There's red, white and black."

"Jeez, Murph! You can't just go tellin' everyone everything!"

Murphy shrugged. "If someone you cared about had been taken from you, wouldn't you want to know everything about who took them and why they were taken?"

Dresden sighed. "Fine..." he huffed. "I'm gonna need some stuff. I'll be right back."

Harry pulled back the toss rug across from the fireplace, revealing a hinged door in the floor. He grabbed an oil lamp from the coffee table and made his way down the stairs and into the apartment's sub-basement. They heard some rattling sounds and a few moments later, Harry walked back up with an amethyst crystal in his free hand. He put the lamp back onto the table and closed the basement door, re-covering it with the rug.

"I'm gonna need something personal that belonged to the boy," he said to Mickey.

Mickey nodded and took his wallet out of his back pocket. He opened one of the sections and pulled out Ian's dog tags. He'd come home one day, a couple of weeks after Ian had been discharged, and found them in the trash. Mickey had known how much joining the army had meant to Gallagher, so he'd kept the tags in case Ian wanted them back one day. Mickey handed them over to Dresden.

The man held the tags towards the lamplight in order to read them.

"Why don't you just turn on a light?" Mickey asked.

"Electronics have a way of malfunctioning when Harry is around..." Murphy explained. "That's why I left my cell phone in the car."

Mickey took his own cell phone out of his pocket, only to discover that it had turned off on its own. Well, that explained the fireplace and the wood-burning stove...

"Phillip Gallagher?" Dresden asked then, bringing Mickey back to the matter at hand. "I thought you said his name was Ian?"

Mickey shook his head. "It's a long story... but those are definitely Ian's."

Dresden took a white cord out from his pocket and tied the crystal to the dog tags. Mickey was sitting at the edge of the couch now, waiting to see what would happen. He'd seen the show Charmed and expected to see Dresden pull out a map of Chicago or something, but the crystal just hung there. "Let's go," Harry said to them. "I'll drive."

They walked out of his apartment and made their way over to a blue, beaten up Volkswagen Beetle. Well, at least it was blue at _some _point in time. It had obviously been repaired so often that most of the pieces of the body had been replaced with spare parts of different colors. Once they were all seated, Harry rested his staff in the space behind his chair and hung the crystal from his rear-view mirror. It swayed slightly before pointing to the right, and they began their drive.

The crystal led them to the North Side, to a neighborhood called Streeterville. This was where the old money of Chicago lived—kind of like the upper east side of New York City, only less pretentious. The houses were all situated far back into their plots so that you couldn't see anything clearly from the street. Large trees and bushes also served to provide the families who lived there with additional privacy. They slowed down until they were in front of the house the crystal pointed at.

Calling it a house was a bit of an understatement. It was more like a mansion. Harry drove up to the gate and pushed a button on the intercom. There was a violent squeak from it and Mickey swore he saw it smoking a bit. "This is Harry Dresden, here to see Madeline Raith." With a last sputter of static, the intercom sparked and the gate slowly opened. They drove up to the front of the house.


	6. Chapter 6

**Ch. 6**

They were met at the entrance by a security guard dressed in a black suit, wearing a pair of sunglasses, despite it being well after midnight. He looked like he was secret service.

"If we're going to see _vampires_," Mickey whispered to Murphy, sarcasm and disbelief dripping from his words, "shouldn't we have come during the day?"

"Not those kind of vampires, kid," she whispered back.

They were escorted into a large salon and directed to sit on the divans that were littered throughout the room. Harry was asked to give the guard his staff before Madeline would see them. "You know as well as I do that a wizard doesn't just hand over his staff..." Harry replied. The guard did not look happy, but took up a spot by the salon door.

_Wizard?_ Mickey thought, rolling his eyes. _Oh God, I'm surrounded by psychos..._

Before he could say anything, the woman from the bar strode in. She looked even taller than Mickey remembered. He looked down and noticed she was wearing a pair of clear stilettos. She had on a red, lace nightgown, which was anything but modest. She might as well have been naked. She was followed by four buff, naked men. Mickey almost choked when he realized one of them was Ian. He made a move to step forward but Dresden was already standing and pushed Mickey back down onto his seat.

When she walked closer to them, Mickey could feel his attention being drawn towards her. The woman had every eye in the room, and she knew it. Even Murphy was mesmerized by her. It was a simple fact, like gravity, that everyone was ensnared—even Mickey. No wonder Gallagher had hit him when Mickey had tried to pull him away. Mickey suddenly felt like a teenager: afraid, excited, and filled with so many hormones demanding so many inexplicable things that he nearly lost the ability to focus his eyes.

"The infamous Harry Dresden..." She looked up at the man and twined a finger through a tendril of his dark hair. "How could I come to Chicago so many times without meeting you?"

"But I've seen you," Harry said. His voice was a little rough, but it worked.

"Oh?" she asked, her sexy smile widening. "Are you the sort who likes to watch, Harry?"

"You betcha," he answered. "And that time, I was watching Who Framed Roger Rabbit." Madeline's smile faltered a fraction. "You are Jessica Rabbit, right?" Harry asked. "All slinky and overblown and obvious?"

The smile vanished.

"No, but honestly, I do love the dress..." he said.

Madeline recovered quickly. "Why, thank you," she said, turning so that they could all see just how little the nightgown left to the imagination. "I got it in honor of my newest addition." She gestured vaguely towards Ian. "I've never had a redhead quite like this before! Just look at him!" she said enthusiastically.

Harry frowned. "Err... yeah... That's what we're here to talk to you about. The kid's a minor. I want him back, Mad, _or else._"

Madeline jerked her head back as if Harry had slapped her. "What?"

"You heard me," Dresden said calmly. "I'm not here to play games. I want the redhead back."

"How dare you?" Madeline snarled. "How dare you threaten me? Lara will have the skin flayed from your body for this."

"Oh?" Harry gave her a cold smile. "And how do you think Lara will react when she learns that you took him from Club Zero? After the lust you just projected at me, I'd be well within my rights to burn you right down to your overpriced shoes."

Madeline laughed. It reminded Mickey of glass breaking.

"You have no such authority here. Do you honestly think Lara would take your side against a member of her own family's? Besides, I was just about to have the redhead as a little snack before dinner." Madeline turned to face Ian, and her voice sank to a throaty purr. "But now that I think about it, I'll just take him in _one big bite._" She licked her lips as she slid her fingers along Ian's waist. His erection had fully grown now, and Ian shivered at her touch. "I'll take him whole and make him scream how much he loves it as it happens."

"Stop!" Mickey shouted. He just couldn't bear it anymore. He shoved himself between Madeline and Ian, breaking the woman's contact with the redhead. "Take me instead!" He pulled at his shirt, exposing his neck.

"If you insist!" Madeline said. Her eyes, which Mickey had been sure were a cornflower blue the first time he'd seen her, were now a steely silver. Her gaze bore down on Mickey and her mouth parted, spreading slowly into a smile that shrunk Mickey's pants about three sizes in as many seconds. Even on guard against it, Mickey could feel the subtle sweetness of her presence calling to him, whispering that he should relax and let his eyes run over her for a while. Mickey squeezed his own eyes shut, bracing himself. He was ready for what was about to happen if it meant that Gallagher would be safe.

Madeline grabbed a hold of Mickey's shoulders and was so close that he could feel her breath on his lips. Those cold lips touched his own... and then the vampire screamed. She writhed away from Mickey, holding her lips and screaming again.

Mickey felt his head clear. Whatever she'd been doing to him was wearing off. He shot a quizzical look at Dresden. It was only then that he noticed the guard was trying to move towards him but was being held back by a glowing, almost invisible wall. Dresden had his palm open and was facing the man, concentrating on the dangling bracelet on his wrist. The bracelet was glowing with the same blue-white light that was holding the security guard back. "Touch her skin again!" the wizard directed.

Mickey stepped forward and put his hands around Madeline's neck. Wherever his skin made contact with her exposed flesh, the vampire's skin sizzled and burned, blackening in some places, forming blisters and welts in others. Despite the woman's screams, Mickey didn't stop. He slid one hand down her torso, leaving a trail of ruin in its wake. He shoved her back and she fell to the floor, quivering in jerking little motions, gasping and breathless with the pain. "Stay the fuck away from us!" Mickey shouted.

Mickey turned to check if Gallagher was okay. He stood there, naked and confused, but when the redhead finally made eye contact with Mickey, he lurched forward and hugged him, tears streaming down his face.

Murphy grabbed a throw off the back of one of the divans and wrapped it around Gallagher's waist.

"Let's get out of here," Dresden said to them.

"Lara will hear about this, Dresden! You'll regret getting involved!"

Dresden shrugged and turned around to walk out. When they stood outside of the mansion, he aimed his staff at the open doors, shouted "VENTAS SERVITAS!" and the doors slammed shut.

They got into the little beetle and drove away.


	7. Chapter 7

**Ch. 7**

Mickey and Ian were sat in the back of Dresden's blue beetle, while Murphy was in the passenger seat. Ian had fallen asleep with his head on Mickey's shoulder. The older boy had his arm wrapped around the redhead, who was still shivering slightly despite it being a warm summer night.

"What the hell just happened?!" Mickey asked in a quiet voice, so as not to disturb Ian. "I thought she was going to drink my blood..."

Dresden and Murphy both let out a laugh.

"Madeline is a White Court vamp, kid. She's a _succubus_. They pray on sexual energy and on human emotions. The Raith family feeds on lust. They have a big weakness, though," he went on. "It's not sunlight or symbols of faith. It's actually much simpler than that; a White Court vampire's greatest weakness is the opposite of the emotion that they feed upon. In Madeline's case, that weakness is true love. When you offered yourself in exchange for Ian, you solidified that love. That's why you were able to burn Madeline in a way that my magic never could."

Mickey felt a blush form on his cheeks and turned his face away from the others' view. "Is Gallagher gonna be okay?"

"Each time the vamps feed off of someone, they take a piece of that person in the form of a memory. But—I don't think Madeline had done anything to him yet. He should be fine in a few days, once the effects of the enthrallment have worn off. He probably won't even remember any of it."

Mickey didn't ask any more questions—he didn't want to know the answers. All of this was just too weird and too much for him to swallow. He tightened his grip on Ian.

"So Murph, what did you get out of this? Why were you so interested in  
finding the kid anyway?"

"A lead I had on another case had mentioned this club, but no matter how hard I looked, I couldn't find it. I just don't like loose ends, you know?"

Dresden nodded in assent. He drove the boys to Mickey's house and dropped them off.

"Umm... How do I pay you for your help?"

"As if Harry would take your money!" Murphy joked. "This case was like child's play for him." Murphy took the dog tags off the crystal that was still hanging from the mirror and passed them to Mickey. "Be safe..."

Mickey frowned but thanked them both and helped Ian out of the car. It maybe have been an easy case for Dresden but Gallagher's life had been on the line. Mickey had come so close to losing him... He shook his head to clear it. He didn't like the direction his thoughts had been headed.

The boys made it into the house, slowly but surely, and Mickey put Ian into their bed. Ian passed out immediately and slept for 18 hours straight. Mickey kept checking every couple of hours to make sure he was still breathing.

He finally awoke the next day.

"Mick...?"

Mickey had been sitting on the floor, with his back against the bed. He must have dosed off at some point, but the panic in Ian's voice brought him to attention faster than any alarm would have. He twisted his body so that he was facing the younger boy. Ian reached for Mickey's hand, and he didn't object.

"What happened? My head is killing me..."

"What's the last thing you remember?"

Ian looked like he was struggling to grasp onto a fleeting memory. "I...I don't know. We went to the club... and you were supposed to bring me a drink... I was dancing... then it all goes blank." He frowned at Mickey.

"Hey, don't make that face..." Mickey said, gently touching Ian's jaw. He knew Ian was thrown by the intimate gesture. He could tell from the strange look he was getting from the redhead.

"Mickey, I-"

"Look. I know you've been feeling kinda shitty lately. The community service thing sucks and you're cut off from your family... I know you're getting bored with doing the same shit every day..." Ian tried to object but Mickey cut him off. "I almost lost you tonight, and I'm never gonna let that happen again—even if it means going out on real dates once in a while," Mickey cringed, but then continued, "as long as _I _get to choose where we go! And I'll help you pay back your sister now, so you can get back on good terms with your family. You can pay me back at your own pace. I know you will, eventually. I just want you to be happy."

It was the corniest thing Mickey had ever said to Ian, but he knew it was the truth—they both did. Ian grabbed Mickey behind his neck and pulled him in for a passionate kiss.

"Uh, Mickey... Why am I naked?"

Mickey couldn't help but laugh. After all the stress from the weekend, it felt good to let go and laugh. "It's a long story, Firecrotch. Maybe I'll tell you about it one day..."

From that night forward, Mickey wore Ian's dog tags around his neck at all times. He even showered with them on. Ian asked him about them once, and Mickey's only response was that they reminded him of what he almost lost and how he finally found it again.

Mickey _did _tell Ian about what had happened that weekend, but it wasn't until a couple of years later, and he wasn't sure Ian even believed him. He just couldn't fathom ever being attracted to a woman. Mickey always thought that it was funny that _that_ was the part of the story Ian had trouble believing in—not the wizard-who-has-actual-magic bit or the vampire-that-feeds-on-lust bit.

All Mickey knew was that he loved Ian, and even if he still hadn't said the words, he'd done everything in his power to make Gallagher feel happy and cherished.


End file.
